Genesis 43:24-34

In the last entry, I purposely left out the last part of verse 23. Here’s the verse in its entirety:

“It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.


The steward brought Simeon out from prison and returned him to his brothers. Time for some family rejoicing? Apparently not! There is no mention of any reaction whatsoever. Is this another example of their dysfunction?? We are just told what happens next. Joseph’s brothers, in his own home, were shown hospitality by the steward, who provided them water for washing their feet (aaahhh...), and food for their donkeys. They waited anxiously, with gifts ready, to meet the second-in-command in Egypt. I wonder what Simeon was thinking. . .

When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. He asked them how they were, and then he said, “How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?”


They replied, “Your servant our father is still alive and well.” And they bowed low to pay him honor.
(Gen 43:26-28)

Don’t you wish you had been there?? They were completely fulfilling the vision God had given the teenaged Joseph by bowing low to him. Yet, there is no indication that Joseph enjoyed this. We can see that he was still in emotional conflict, worried about his father, then anxiously looking about for Benjamin:

As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there. (vs.29-30)

Oh, this just brings tears to my eyes! He must have wanted so desperately to just grab hold of Benjamin and not let go! But he sensed that the timing wasn’t quite right yet. I’m thinking that God must have truly been holding Joseph back for there was work to be done in the hearts of these brothers!

After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, “Serve the food.” 

They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s. So they feasted and drank freely with him. (vs.31-34)

This is an interesting picture of Joseph, setting his emotions aside and coming out to eat at his own table by himself. He was supposedly “Egyptian” in the eyes of his brothers - and Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews. I happen to be studying Acts 10 this week in Bible Study Fellowship. In this chapter, God tells Peter that nothing He created is “unclean” and that Peter should fellowship with and give out the gospel to the household of Cornelius, a Roman centurion - a Gentile. There is so much bigotry in our world, isn’t there? The Jews wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles, the Egyptians wouldn’t eat with the Hebrews, and whites wouldn’t eat with the blacks in the south (just watched the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in DC). . . we could go on and on! The Bible proclaims with clarity that God is no respecter of persons, but we continue in our mistrust of anyone different from us!

At this point, Joseph’s separation actually increases the amazement of the brothers, who can’t figure out how they were seated in birth order, or why Benjamin gets all of the extra food! But they put aside their questions, because the food and drink made a terrific feast! The way to a man’s heart. . .     :)  Joseph watched in silence while he set in motion the next portion of his (God’s) plan. This is going to be another great week in God’s Word!

 

Genesis 43:17-23

The verses we’ll look at today have some great “gems” for us! When Joseph’s brothers were taken to his house, instead of being relieved or feeling honored, they were terrified and assumed the worst:

Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.” (Gen 43:18)

They were expecting to reap what they had sown here. Notice how they believed Joseph wanted to attack them, overpower them, and make them slaves - which is exactly what they had done to their brother! So they passionately pleaded their case to Joseph’s steward:

So they went up to Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. “Please, sir,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food. But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver—the exact weight—in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.” (Vs. 19-22)

It’s the steward’s response in verse 23 that we will focus on this morning:

“It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.”


It seems that Joseph’s steward worked closely with Joseph, for he knew about Joseph’s God, and he knew specifically the details of this particular business transaction. He assured the brothers that God must have put the “treasure” in their sacks, because their account was already paid in full! What a picture of what God has done for us!

The hardest thing for people to receive it seems is grace! We just can’t wrap our brains around the fact that our accounts have been paid in full. We have all heard this saying about what Christ did for us so many times, but we have difficulty personally applying it: “We owed a debt we could not pay; He paid a debt He did not owe!” We want to come to God on our terms, with our merits and gifts, but the Bible tells us our righteousness is like filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6)

There is NOTHING that we can add to the work of Christ on the cross! If we try to, either through some “religious” work - (a particular prayer, ritual, or work in the church) - or our own good deeds, we deny that Jesus paid it all. We in essence say, “What He did was not enough; I must do something to add to it.” We can offer our “works” as a sacrifice to demonstrate to the world the love God has poured out into our hearts, but these do NOT give us more favor before God or make us righteous. Paul wrote, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."  (2 Cor 4:7)

Now, Beth Moore adds another look at the “treasure” that was buried in their sacks. She asks, “How did God bury treasures amidst the rubble for Jacob’s sons in Egypt?” (The Patriarchs, P. 210). When I think of the “rubble” in Jacob’s family, I think of their wretched relationships and the disastrous dysfunction that had nearly destroyed this family. I think of all that Joseph suffered, being betrayed, beaten, sold into slavery, then falsely accused and imprisoned. I think of the agony of Jacob, who refused to be comforted by his remaining sons. And then I think of the famine that threatened to obliterate this family physically. There was rubble, indeed!

So how did God bury treasure in their sacks? He placed Joseph exactly where he needed to be for the salvation of this family, and the ultimate salvation of all who would receive the Savior coming from this family. Beth asks us to think about what “treasures” God has buried amidst our own rubble. What a thought! When I think about the rubble of Jacob’s family, I think about all of the “messed-up” families I know about (in addition to the one in which I was raised). Some have bigger messes than others, but all have plenty of hurt and injury to fill a book that no one would believe! It always cracks me up when I’m with friends who are sharing stories about their “crazy” families, that none of us sees ourselves as the crazy family member. Which makes me think: I wonder what the crazy family members tell their friends??? Do they think WE are the crazy ones?

Don’t you know (or maybe you’re in) a family that is falling apart, because hurting words have been said that just can’t be taken back? or betrayal has been too deep? Does your family seem beyond repair? That’s why I LOVE the story of Jacob’s crazy family. What an amazing group of crazies!!! Yet, in the midst of this rubble, God is going to pull out the treasure of eternity! Oh, doesn’t that give you hope for your family? Is there a way you can see God work forgiveness and healing back into your family? Will you be willing to be part of the healing? We’ll see that, at any time, Joseph could have justifiably taken revenge on his brothers. Instead Joseph will become an instrument of mercy and forgiveness, and by that be used as a tool for carrying out God’s divine plan! But first, he will test his brothers some more. . . Joseph is noble, but he's also human!  :)

 

Genesis 43:15-16

So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. (Gen 43:15)

With all that the Bible tells us about God, His people, their history and their future, it is amazing what is NOT included in Scripture. I do love that Beth Moore asks her readers to conjecture about what is NOT described in this section of the story. We have not yet heard a word out of Benjamin! We have no idea what went through his head during this trip. Being Daddy’s favorite and being the baby of the family - even as a man - this was possibly the first time he had gone on a trip with his brothers. Because I am the youngest in my family of four girls, I am anxious to get into Benjamin’s head!

Being the youngest has some definite advantages, from which I truly benefitted. Everyone loved me and doted on me right from the start, which gave me lifelong confidence. I was able to observe my sisters and learn from some of their mistakes (although I made some doozies of my own). By the time my parents got to me, they were worn out and very hands-off! I interpreted this as trust, and honestly thought they gave me full rein because they trusted me. Turns out they just didn’t care what I did and couldn’t be bothered. The good news about that, however, was that I always wanted to live up to their trust (although I didn’t), so it had a positive effect on my behavior most of the time.

The downside of being the baby, is that you never grow up in the eyes of your siblings. At 61, I’m still feeling I’ll never quite be grown up enough for them or be taken seriously as an adult. From the time I was little I was always told to “wait until...” It was “Wait until you are in fifth grade - then the homework really starts!‘ Then “Wait until you are 16 and you can drive . . . wait until you are 21 . . . wait until you are married, then you’ll understand... wait until you have children. . . wait until you, too, go through menopause,” etc. :) The only bright point there? I will always be younger than they are!!! The truth is, I adore my sisters, and I know they love me - but I am never feeling quite adult enough. Can any of you relate to that?

So, it makes me wonder about Benjamin! Surely Benjamin knew about the mysterious “death” of his only full brother, Joseph. Was he fearful about going on this road trip with the guys, or did he see it as a time for potential bonding? Was he worrying about his father being left alone? Or did he see this as a great adventure? We’re not told. Note, though, that Benjamin is listed almost as one of the “goods” being taken down to Egypt: they took “the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also.” I’m wondering if that reflects the attitude of the brothers. If you are an older sibling, you know that sometimes it’s a pain to be in charge of the “babies” of the family! Is this how they felt about Benjamin? Were they resentful of the fact that he was precious cargo? One thing I’m certain of is that the brothers were in a hurry to get this whole thing over with! They expected the worst, but Joseph was about to pour mercy on them:

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner; they are to eat with me at noon.” (vs. 16)

I don’t think I’ve ever noticed before that they were actually taken to Joseph’s own home. I always have seen this story played out at some official banquet hall. But Joseph takes them to his house. This was very personal and intimate. He orders a banquet for his brothers! Was he going to “forgive and forget?” Oh, there is so much more to these verses! Can’t wait to see the reunion tomorrow!

 

Genesis 43:1-14

Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!” (Gen 42:36)

When Jacob refused to let the brothers take Benjamin back to Egypt to rescue Simeon, Jacob blurts out what has been on his heart for a long time. For years he apparently had been convinced that these sons had been the cause of Joseph’s death, but in this scene, he so much as says so. His “Everything is against me!” shows that he was convinced he was the victim. Jon Courson notes that he is referred to consistently as Jacob, rather than Israel here, because he is anything but “ruled by God.” He will see soon that God has been in charge all along for the good of this family, at this moment he is wrapped up in the “woe-is-me” blanket.

This next chapter shows us what it took to get Jacob to change his position on Benjamin: an empty stomach!

Now the famine was still severe in the land. So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.” (Gen 43:1-2)

You would have thought it was a small thing to run down to Egypt for a loaf of bread! Now we will see Judah finally step up to lead this family. Remember that it i from Judah’s tribe that the Savior is to come so we want to see God’s hand on this line. The last time we read specifically about Judah was in chapter 38, when he slept with his daughter-in-law, Tamar. Not his best moment. However, he had redeemed himself by finally accepting responsibility for his sin (38:26). Sometime between chapters 38 and 42, Judah had moved back home with his family, and now he reminds his father what it will cost to get more grain. Reading this exchange makes me want to slap Jacob up the side of his head!:

But Judah said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
Israel asked, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?” (vs.3-5) [Here’s where I want to smack him!]


They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’ he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’ We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?” (vs.3-7)

I’m choosing to hear patience in his voice as Judah tries to reason with his father here:

Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.” (vs.8-10)

Judah reminds Jacob that the survival of the entire family depends on their taking this trip (which they could have done a long time ago, had Jacob been reasonable). And here Judah accepts full responsibility for the success or failure of the trip. Although, the reality is that he and his brothers had already been bearing all of the blame from their father for years anyway! I love how Beth says,"Guilt and blame were the stakes holding up the family tent.” Can you relate?

Jacob finally relents - what choice did he have? He sends them off with gifts to attempt to appease the Egyptian prime minister (even as he had done with Esau years before), and finally calls on God’s mercy:

Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” (vs.13-14)

Jacob was at the breaking point, and he recalls the God of his fathers, God Almighty, El Shaddai. Beth Moore points out that in chapter 17, when Jacob left his father, Isaac invoked the blessing of God Almighty on Jacob, but, at this point, when this family was barely holding on because of its dysfunction and need, Jacob asked for mercy! How often what we need is not blessing, but mercy! Only God, in His mercy and grace, could bring good out of this family!

Jacob sends the boys off with little hope as he agonizes, “I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” Are you seeing any trust and expectation here? Me neither! Just a lot of whining! How small is our picture of God Almighty sometimes!! We have the benefit of knowing the ending of Jacob’s story, so we can shake our heads at him. But Jacob was in the midst of this thing, just as you and I are now in the midst of our own situations. Are we looking to God with expectation, anticipating His mercy and blessing?? Or are we whining and feeling hopeless? “God Almighty” means just what it says: He is the God of the universe; He holds all things together, including our present situations. He has a sovereign plan. Let’s trust Him!